On March 26, after a two-day trial, a jury convicted Mullins on three counts of official misconduct. He potentially faced one to two years in prison on each count.

State prosecutors said that as mayor of Oakland, Mullins hid the fact that he was collecting town payments for repairing police car transmissions at his home-based, unlicensed shop.

His conviction was based on a $2,000 repair in 2008, but prosecutors presented evidence of several others.

Representing Mullins, Memphis attorney Henry L. Klein suggested that probation, or judicial diversion that would allow Mullins to clear his record of the conviction later, would be appropriate punishment for the former mayor's "big mistake."

Mullins did not testify at his trial or speak at the sentencing hearing.

State prosecutor Walt Freeland argued against diversion. That would have allowed Mullins to avoid state law that with a conviction bars him from appointed or elected office for 10 years.

Klein called five character witnesses, including Oakland Alderman Maggie Powers, to vouch for Mullins and growth Oakland has had while he was mayor, from 1993 until his conviction last month.

Freeland challenged their praise for Mullins and referred to problems at Oakland Town Hall found in two investigative audits by the state comptroller.

An audit in 2007 confirmed theft of more than $42,000 by a former town accounts payable clerk. An audit in 2006 questioned a salary that more than doubled for Mullins and proper accounting for benefits including a town sports utility vehicle purchased for his use and a Christmas bonus. City officials then acknowledged some mistakes.